A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Christmas Releases

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Today, I’m doing something I’ve never done before, and I’m not really supposed to be doing it. Instead of some old cartoon from the past, I’m showing you previews of the coming week. That’s right! Each panel in the “comic strip” above is from a panel that has never appeared in print or pixel. Granted, they don’t make much sense when assembled in one strip, but that’s never been a major impediment around here before. Technically, I’m not supposed to show you stuff before the syndicate has released it; if you come here tomorrow and find Snuffy Smith, you’ll know what happened. So, watch for the above panels, in newspapers the week of Christmas!

Oh! By the way, if you aren’t already a member of the Facebook group Arlo and Janis Fans, now would be an auspicious time to join. The group needs 21 more members to reach 500. Officially, I don’t have anything to do with the site. Mostly, it’s the work of Jim Young, a fine fellow with a lot of time on his hands, apparently. I know it would make him happy to hit the 500-member mark. And me, too!

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81 responses to “Christmas Releases”

  1. Sili Avatar
    Sili

    You should have someone code you up a random A&J strip generator like for Garfield and Cyanide & Happiness. Hours of Dada.

  2. hc Avatar
    hc

    Sorry Jimmy – I’m happy here – but not on FB – I hope you get your 500 to keep your buddy happy.

  3. Tom (formerly) from the Front Range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the Front Range

    Speaking of Slippery Slopes, that would be Facebook.

  4. Mike From Hartland Avatar
    Mike From Hartland

    I’ve been a member of the group for some time now. Jim does a great job.

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Uh oh. The strip above made sense to me the way it is presented. (I did sort of wonder what happened between panels 1 and 4 that required Janis to change clothes. And what Shrimp Beignets taste like.)

    Not doing Book of Faces myself, could some smart person here explain to a simple person like me exactly what happens and what it means when you “Like” something or someone on FB? And keep the explanation simple. 🙂

  6. Tom (formerly) from the Front Range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the Front Range

    It means you liked something they posted. Simple enough? 🙂

  7. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yes, but why does it seem to be such a big deal for FBers? Do you get points redeemable for fine gifts or something?

  8. Tom (formerly) from the Front Range Avatar
    Tom (formerly) from the Front Range

    Really, all I know about FB is what my wife tells me, and tells me and tells me……

  9. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    I am glad it was a comic from different panels of future strips, I thought I was losing it and would have to see what everyone else thought it meant on comics I Don’ t Understand

  10. Mike From Hartland Avatar
    Mike From Hartland

    When you like something, let’s say an video, your FB friends can see what you liked. They can look at it and like it. Then their friends will see it and so on.

  11. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Ah. This blog pretty much includes all the digital “faces” in which I’m interested.

    Appears that someone grokked the use of the Ladner name over on TDS. Good for them.

  12. Mike From Hartland Avatar
    Mike From Hartland

    Likes are counted and tracked so advertisers can follow who’s liking what.

  13. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Haven’t even finished last evening’s post. Here’s TIP comic for today. Not hilarious, but artist has a cute wife or whoever that is.

    http://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/

  14. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    Whatever Janis did, it shortened Arlo’s sleeves, then grew them right back.

    Glad you explained that one, JJ. I was scratching my head thinking about what beverage served in a mug just demands that shrimp be served with it. Slippery slope indeed.

  15. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    “I’m tiny, but mighty….wanna feel my biceps?”

    Daughter [now 50+] has been a dancer since 3rd grade, and was associated with a professional dance outfit for years. Maybe 25 years ago we were talking muscles/exercise and she, standing next to me, said she had ‘buns of steel’. I fist-bumped her butt, and she did.

  16. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    My spam filter caught an email this morning that was supposedly from FedEx regarding a delivery problem. Hovering my cursor over the “FedEx” address showed it was actually from americangearco dot com. If you see such in your Inbox, I would not recommend clicking on it or opening it.

  17. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    Debbe, I have a friend who stands all of 5’ 2” barefoot, and her motto is from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helena’s description of Hermia- “And though she be but little, she is fierce.”

    I remember singing Emmanuel in chorus in high school. It’s always been a favorite of mine, too.

    Ghost Sweetie, nope, not Toreador Red Metallic, though I did look at that. And no, Charlotte, not blue. That’s my sister’s favorite color. 🙂 As Ghost says, there aren’t that many colors for Excursions, and mine is Spruce Green Metallic. It is lovingly referred to as The Green Land Yacht.

    I have to admit I was wondering about the above strip, too. How very cool to get a peek into the future!

  18. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jean dear, I should have known that a green Excursion would go best with your red hair. 🙂 And yes, those beasts are LARGE. A friend had one about ten years ago, and then traded it for a Caddy Escalade with which he had no end of trouble.

    One of my favorite Jay Leno jokes was one he did just after the Escalade was introduced. He said it must have been designed for “pimps who like to go camping”.

  19. Ginger in Auburn Avatar
    Ginger in Auburn

    Sorry Jimmy – I’m happy here – there are only so many sites I can check and this one is my priority! – I hope you get your 500 to keep your buddy happy.

  20. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 There are “recommended height-weight charts” (some of them for women apparently going back to a study done on US Army WAC’s in WWII) and the later and infamous BMI (Body Mass Index), but I’ve always used the field expedient method you mentioned…for women, add 5 pounds of weight for each inch over 60 inches of height. So for you, 100 + (5.5 x 5) = 127.5 lbs.

    Then you can adjust for frame size, subtracting 10% for small frame and adding 10% for large frame. How to determine frame size? Wrap the index finger and thumb of your right hand around your left wrist at its narrowest (wrist joint) point. If the tips of your finger and thumb just meet, average frame; if they overlap, small frame; if they do not touch, large frame. (Despite my feelings on the matter, there is no additional adjustment for bust or cup size.) So, assuming you are small framed (and otherwise “average” 😉 ), 114 pounds is not drastically underweight.

    Also, the BMI calculator on my smart phone shows yours to be 18.68, and since 18.5 is considered the lower limit of “Normal”, you are on the bubble but not technically “Under Weight”. At 127.5 pounds, your BMI would be 20.86, which is a middle value for “Normal”. So, unlike most of us, you have the luxury of being able to gain over 10 pounds without guilt.

    And I’m sure you are muscular. Out of curiosity, what is the weight of the six trays of eggs you routinely fling around?

  21. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 I have one of these trees. Now I hope I have one of these Christmases.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQeKdvXliIU

    (I compiled my Christmas Playlist on the day after Thanksgiving, so this song was not prompted by your cartoon link of today. “Great minds…”)

  22. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 I really do have a tree like that. My fellow managers gave it to me about five years ago, and I put in on the credenza behind my desk every year.

    http://cfcc.edu/blogs/news/files/2013/11/charlie-brown-christmas-tree.jpg

  23. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    The TIP comic may not be hilarious, but that’s a handsome wife, model, or whatever.

    http://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/

    Spruce green metallic. When we moved here from Ann Arbor, we thought we’d best get a new car, so we coughed up for a new Rambler wagon. Unfortunately, that year they were featuring shock absorbers that had a spring enclosing a bag filled with water [or some other liquid?]. Very smooth ride, until winter, when they became rock solid. N. MN has long winters. We got them replaced.

    ‘Wrap the index finger and thumb of your right hand around your left wrist at its narrowest (wrist joint) point. If the tips of your finger and thumb just meet, average frame; if they overlap, small frame; if they do not touch, large frame.’

    That doesn’t take hand size into acct. One son has relatively small hands and feet, taking after his mother, not me. Expect that would make him seem larger framed than I think he is. Mine barely touch [RH, LW]. The opposite don’t touch, but that’s due to a crooked, mildly arthritic thumb.

  24. Steve from Royal Oak, Mi Avatar

    I may have just posted this recently, but Facebook is like nuclear energy. When used for good, it is wonderful, when improperly used it can be devastating. I live 200 miles away from my old high school and 150-300 miles away from my brothers and sister and I love being able to stay in touch with them and remain involved in their lives. One of my nephews and I have become very close to each other but barely knew each other as he grew up as he lived so far away.

    Like this site, I have become “friends” with people that I have never met and I am a richer person as a result of it.

  25. Jim in TN Avatar
    Jim in TN

    As of right now, the Facebook fan page has 510 members! Thanks to Jimmy for the shout out and thanks to those who enjoy the efforts there. I started it because I saw other comics had pages on facebook and I didn’t want A&J left out! We mostly share links to this site or the current strips and comment among ourselves there. We are pretty laid back. But those who don’t do facebook are certainly not required as long as they come here to the official blog! 😉

    I hope everyone has a great Holiday!